it's a close contest as to who is worse when breen, jackson, FRATELLO all get rolling with the flagrantly PRO lebron banter. it makes me do a little bit of barf in my mouth. my vote is FRATELLO is the worst hack of an announcer out there.

which is surprising because i used to not mind his color commentary on games. but it seems he's gone to the dark side and become a "boost up bronnie" stooge in this new era of contrived superstars who need extra star power.

they all hated the c's last year right up until when lebron threw it, then they had no choice to point out a few good things about the celts since they were putting the cavs to shame.

it's a close contest as to who is worse when breen, jackson, FRATELLO all get rolling with the flagrantly PRO lebron banter. it makes me do a little bit of barf in my mouth. my vote is FRATELLO is the worst hack of an announcer out there. which is surprising because i used to not mind his color commentary on games. but it seems he's gone to the dark side and become a "boost up bronnie" stooge in this new era of contrived superstars who need extra star power. they all hated the c's last year right up until when lebron threw it, then they had no choice to point out a few good things about the celts since they were putting the cavs to shame.Posted by aciemvp

I was glad to see Collins get a job. He was obnoxious as Joe Willie was.

Having to listen to Jackson broadcast any game, let alone a Faker game with KOME is like taking a laxative and not having any toilet paper.Posted by OneOnOne

What is amazing to me about the national guys is that they are generally unprepared and willing to say just about anything to create hype and to sensationalize.

Whoever the best player on each team in the game they are doing are the best players in the league, whoever the coaches are the best coaches in the league, when a team gets out to a decent lead they are clearly the best team in the league until, and inevitably, that team gives up the lead then the team that takes the lead is now the best team in the league.

In Response to HAND DOWN MAN DOWN : What is amazing to me about the national guys is that they are generally unprepared and willing to say just about anything to create hype and to sensationalize. Whoever the best player on each team in the game they are doing are the best players in the league, whoever the coaches are the best coaches in the league, when a team gets out to a decent lead they are clearly the best team in the league until, and inevitably, that team gives up the lead then the team that takes the lead is now the best team in the league.Posted by TheDUDDER

Hmmm, true about Hubie, Fratello, and a few others who are in game color commentators. Not true about the show hosts like Barkley, McHale, Webber, and Kenny. Come to think of it, I find it more true about ESPN guys and not true about TNT guys.

In Response to HAND DOWN MAN DOWN : What is amazing to me about the national guys is that they are generally unprepared and willing to say just about anything to create hype and to sensationalize. Whoever the best player on each team in the game they are doing are the best players in the league, whoever the coaches are the best coaches in the league, when a team gets out to a decent lead they are clearly the best team in the league until, and inevitably, that team gives up the lead then the team that takes the lead is now the best team in the league.Posted by TheDUDDER

Its also gotten to the point nearly everyone they talk about they say they are a "great player" Never knew we had that many great players right now. There may be 4-5 great players and a couple of them are past their prime. (Shaq)

Hearing Jackson and Jan Gundy announce a game makes me hate basketball. I turn the volume down and put the radio on. I just don't like how they play off one another at all. Can't stand them. Just sounds like they don't like one another at all, and are annoyed the whole time. That's annoying.

Has anyone ever considered the that if everyone is "great" then great is average.Maybe an evaluation of players would be:first, not quite great,second,great and third,really great.Posted by kebbe

I remember when Blatche of the Wizards was arrested for being with a prostitute or drugs or guns or something and the headline was something like "NBA STAR ARRESTED blah blah blah", at the time he was averaging 2 points per game. As if simply making it to the NBA one is a star. Nowadays Flo from the Progressive Insurance ads is a star - heck if you declare yourself a celebrity you are - look at the Kardashians.

Great is thrown around way too loosely. But just about ever type of standard has declined over the years. Education standards, behavioral standards, and so on just keep declining and more and more of what most would consider unacceptable becomes acceptable.

If you are not the best in the league or the best of your era at your position - you are not great.

In Response to Re: HAND DOWN MAN DOWN : Nowadays Flo from the Progressive Insurance ads is a star - heck if you declare yourself a celebrity you are - look at the Kardashians. Great is thrown around way too loosely. But just about ever type of standard has declined over the years. Posted by TheDUDDER

just to bring the blatche-ism into focus, he was travelling to toronto in the off season, in the sometimes-important-regarding-personal-conduct days leading up to that time when a team decides whether they are going to offer you a contract extension.... and actually fell for the undercover cop-as-hooker routine. and word on the street was she was a heffer.....

and the wizz are such a GREAT judge of talent that they re-signed the immortal blatche (sounds like the noise in a fan's stomach after the 55th loss of the season, eh?) to a long term deal, personal issues, money spending issues, hookier issues and all.

then to round out the early nba career blatche greatness, the guy would run out of money at the 60 game mark each of his first three years on that poverty line rookie contract and SLEEP IN THE LOGE SECTION AT THE WIZ ARENA- no joke there- go fact check me.

now c'mon, that IS great!

and then the wiz, they gave this bumbling idiot with a scintilla of physical talent (despite the flat liner brain wave) a BIG EXTENSION- aren't they GREAT too??!!!

Acie, If true that just amazing. I mean these guy are like.............retarded. I mean that is the only word.Posted by concord27

Another thing that I find absolutely amazing is how some announcers and coaches, etc. espouse how intelligent some of these guys are.

I remember announcers and sports radio guys talking about how Pedro Martinez was some sort of genius as if being able to make a few jokes in broken English somehow makes someone a genius. I heard an interview with Pedroia yesterday and he was talking about Papelbon - Papelbon had apparently pitched the 9th and 10th inning and Papelbon asked the pitching coach "if we score am I going back out to pitch".... the pitching coach responded "if we score, we win"......

Most of these guys without their height or athleticism would be flipping burgers and have absolutely no business ever going to college. There is a reason the phrase dumb-jock exists.

I remember the interview with Marcus Camby when UMASS was going deep into the tourney. The guy doing the interview said something like "it must be crazy every time you go on campus blah blah blah"... Camby's response "well I don't get on campus very often"..... wow what a surprise... someone who is completely illterate doesn't get on campus very often? Someone who if was a foot shooter would be dealing crack on the streets of Bridgeport does not get to campus very often - what a shock?